Ruling party vows support for Gov’t bill to curb high prices
The ruling party MPs will vote for the bill on fair trade, the party head in the Parliament said on Monday. Photo: Parliament press office
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Mamuka Mdinaradze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the Parliament, on Monday pledged support for the Government's forthcoming bill for regulating high prices on various products in the country.
Speaking to the media, the lawmaker stressed the legislative body would act with the Government to respond to existing challenges for the country, pledging the Parliament would discuss the bill “in detail”.
He also noted it was “important” for citizens to “feel the benefits” of the double-digit economic growth through a reduction in inflation.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday instructed the country’s Economy Ministry to draft the bill to ensure reduction in domestic prices, particularly on food and oil.
The legislative initiative will be “related to the European directive on fair trade”, the PM said, and is expected to define margins and prices, with retails also offering predefined rules.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday said he had instructed the country’s Economy Ministry to draft a bill to ensure reduction in domestic prices on food and oil.
The average cost of about 800 medicines for chronic and oncological diseases will be reduced by 40 percent with the introduction of the reference pricing system starting today, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced on Wednesday.
Pharmaceutical companies, importers, distributors and retailers of medical drugs will be prohibited from selling medicines at prices exceeding the reference set by authorities starting February 15, the Georgian Government announced on Monday.
Georgian Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili on Friday said the reference prices set for medicines would come into effect on February 15 and all companies, importers, distributors or retailers would be required to establish a maximum upper limit accordingly.
Georgia’s economic growth, a draft law on fair trade that aims to reduce food and oil prices, and the development of countrywide spatial planning were discussed in a Government session led by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday told the country’s Parliament the Government was continuing talks with fuel importers and ensuring “everything” was done to further reduce domestic prices.
The Georgian National Competition Agency on Monday said it had started inspecting four companies in the Georgian pharmaceutical market following “sharp increase” by them in prices of medicines for chronic and oncological illnesses.